Anarchia: Revelations
by Felinae Silvestris
Summary: Time can change a lot. Three years on, and rumours are rife about Jellicles, pirates and rebels alike. Old enemies become new allies and really it's all a question of trust. Time heals all wounds, they say. Admetus is not so sure. Anarchia fic. AnthroAU


A/N: This takes place around three to four years after Viva La Revolution and chronicles another important event in the world of Anarchia. The two have been written side by side and will be posted side by side. They work as stand-alones, although they interconnect significantly but do not need to be read in order. They can be read side by side. Con-crit greatly encouraged and much appreciated. Enjoy.

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**Anarchia - Revelations**

**Chapter 1 – The Enemy of My Enemy**

Two toms walked along the dark street, grumbling about the rain and talking idly as they made their way home. In this light, they looked almost identical, the only difference being that Plato's markings were darker than his brother Admetus' although the contrast was somewhat dulled by the torrents of rain. They had been out on the streets and in various pubs, keeping an ear to the ground for anything they could use. They had been hearing a few interesting things passing through the grapevine about the recent spate of murders and attacks. Apparently, things had been slowing down and the rumour was that Macavity had almost been caught and he was afraid that next time he would be, so he was being extra cautious.

Macavity had a reputation, with a multitude of names intended to make kittens fear him. It had started off simply enough, he was known as a thief first and foremost. This much was true, to an extent and he became notorious for never being caught. Then a cat was found murdered and dumped in the river. The rumours were rife, that it had been the Hidden Paw, and so it continued, for a few years. Any time a cat was murdered, attacked, raped, mugged or just vanished, Macavity was blamed. Nobody could say how they knew it was the Mystery Cat, but everyone knew that he was an evil cat who would kill you just for the fun of it. Admetus and Plato both knew that was bullshit, and they were trying to find out who really was behind all the attacks.

They hadn't been very successful there so far but one cat they had spoken to after some careful questioning, had hinted that a tom rumoured to have been one of the Jellicles had been out looking for somewhere to stay. That was curious, since they had not heard anything about a Jellicle being exiled of late, but they were unable to find out anymore. They walked past an alley, still wondering between them who this 'Jellicle' might be when they heard a muffled gasp. Admetus halted and fell silent immediately, flinging out a paw to stop Plato as well. He squinted into the dark alley, but he couldn't see or hear anything more. Cautiously he padded forward while his brother waited at the mouth of the alley, just in case. Admetus finally spotted the source of the noise when he turned the corner into a little cul-de-sac full of old metal bins and soggy cardboard boxes.

The two cats stared at each other for several moments before recognition broke out on both faces simultaneously. Admetus shouted to Plato to join him, watching Alonzo warily. Alonzo just stared back, pressing his back tightly against the wall as he tightened his grip on the knife he was holding. These two cats were the last cats he wanted to see right now. He glared back at Admetus, wondering just what they were going to do to him, turning his attention to the other tom when he stopped to see what was going on. Plato's eyes widened in recognition when he saw who had been cornered, and he was the first to speak.

"Alonzo?" He hadn't meant for it to sound like a question, but the idea that Alonzo was out here seemed so absurd to Plato that he doubted what his eyes were telling him he was seeing. The black and white tom glanced at Plato, his lip curling slightly in the beginnings of a snarl. Yet, he didn't speak or make any other movement. He looked bad, his white fur was smeared with mud and what might have been blood. His face was thin, like he'd lost a lot of weight in a short period of time and Alonzo had always been on the skinny side anyway. He watched the two toms carefully, alert to every tiny movement they made.

Admetus glanced up at Plato uncertainly for a second before speaking himself, "Alonzo, what… are you okay?" It had taken him this long to realise that Alonzo looked scared. At least, that's what Admetus thought it was and the irony wasn't lost on him. He raised his paws to indicate that he was unarmed and had no intention of attacking, and Alonzo seemed to relax slightly.

"Do I look okay?" he muttered after a moment, finally opening his mouth. His grip on the knife shifted slightly again, just in case he would have to use it.

"Honestly, no. What happened? Why are you… I mean, shouldn't you be at the Junkyard?" Admetus persisted, eyeing the blade just in case it moved.

Alonzo shook his head. "I… left. He was going to… I…" he was stuttering.

The two brothers could hardly believe what they were seeing. Alonzo of the Jellicle tribe was cowering in a corner clutching a knife and stuttering. What happened to that tom who had dealt out abuse with no mercy, the tom who had inflicted the series of scars that ran down Admetus' back? It seemed very wrong to see him like this, a bizarre role reversal that left Admetus feeling distinctly uncomfortable.

"He was going to what?" Plato pressed, as curious as his brother was as to how Alonzo could have been reduced to this. Perhaps the fear evident in those deep blue eyes were a result of what he'd done, perhaps he expected the brothers to get their own back now that they could? At the very least, Plato could guess who 'he' was.

"Munkustrap was going to kill me. Because… because of what I did." Alonzo answered, sounding a little more confident now. He was standing up straighter at any rate, and his voice shook a little less. The two brothers shared another glance, he couldn't possibly mean that, could he?

"What did you do?" Admetus asked, unable to curb his curiosity about just what it would have taken for the Jellicle Guardian to threaten such measures.

"I… I let it take over. I couldn't stop it, it wasn't enough…" Alonzo rambled on brokenly for a few moments before he managed to compose himself. "The attacks, the murders… you must have heard about them. They say it was Macavity. I know it wasn't, and I bet you two do as well." He accused them of already knowing the truth. They knew; they had to know that it wasn't Macavity. They'd left with the ginger tom; Alonzo had assumed they were still with him.

"It was you." Plato confirmed unnecessarily. Alonzo nodded.

"I hate what I've become, what he let me become, I knew I had to get away. I killed… it doesn't matter. I just knew I had to leave, I need to find somewhere safe."

When Alonzo said that, the brothers knew that he wasn't just looking for a place to live. He was looking for somewhere to hide. They also knew that they had found what they had been looking for. Perhaps it was worth taking him back with them.

"If you want..." Admetus began, glancing at Plato for confirmation before pressing on, "We can help. Maybe you can help us as well."

"Are you sure?" the question escaped Alonzo before he could prevent it. "I mean…after… everything? After what I did?"

"Don't remind me." Admetus said bitterly, fighting the temptation to retract his offer.

"I… I'm sorry. I know that's not much, but it's all I have." Alonzo offered sheepishly.

"It'll do for now," Plato said, seeing the sudden tension in his brother's posture and sensing danger. "We can't make any promises though."

Alonzo wilted a little at that, he should have known. He should have left the city, gone elsewhere and gotten away from everything. The only reason he'd stuck around, was because deep down he wanted revenge. The Jellicles had turned him into a monster and he hated what he'd become. It was an addiction, one that he now determined to fight. He had actually attempted to find Macavity, but to no success so he was grateful now for the opportunity. He would have done anything right then, to convince the brothers to help him.

"I'll do what it takes," The black and white tom vowed.

"Good," Admetus said shortly, indicating with a nod towards the street, that they should get moving. Plato hesitated, holding out a paw and looking at Alonzo expectantly. It took a few moments before he realised what Plato wanted and handed the knife over without argument.

"Thanks. Just a precaution, you know?" Plato said reasonably. Alonzo just sighed and followed the two brothers to wherever they were taking him.

It took another twenty minutes before they arrived at their destination, after a tense walk in complete silence. It was a tall block of flats near the centre of the city, dull on the outside and virtually indistinguishable from any other block in the area. Without a word, Admetus opened the front door with a key, leading them up three flights of stairs before opening another door. He held the door for Plato, and indicated Alonzo should follow, when he hesitated in the stairwell. The door was quickly locked behind them. A queen's head popped out of an open doorway about half way along the short hall, let out a squeak and ducked back inside. Alonzo would have guessed that it was Demeter, although it had happened so quickly he couldn't be sure. There wasn't time to worry about it, because Macavity had appeared at that same doorway. The ginger tom hesitated, recognition crossing his face quickly followed by suspicion.

"Plato, Addy, what's going on?" he asked, almost demanding.

"We've got a few things to tell you, Mac." Plato said.

"That's fine, but what is _he_ doing here?" Macavity said coldly, directing a cool gaze towards the black and white tom.

"That's one of the things we've got to tell you." Admetus said, "We know who's behind all those attacks you're getting the blame for."

"You're kidding, right?" Macavity had spoken before it could even sink in. Admetus just shrugged. Alonzo shifted a little, not liking where this was going. He glared at Plato, wanting his knife back. He felt a little safer with the weapon, especially with the way Macavity was looking at him. "Won't they notice if he's gone? I mean… who else could do the job with discretion and yet such flair?"

Alonzo managed to shake his head in answer to that. "I go back, Munkustrap will kill me himself," he muttered quietly.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen." Macavity drawled, sounding suddenly amused. He could guess what had happened, but he knew he'd be hearing it right from the horses mouth soon enough. Alonzo flattened his ears but he didn't dare retaliate. He was too well outnumbered to risk it.

"We figured you'd wanna talk to him, and he said he'd help us. If you can think of a use for him, I suppose," Admetus said, smirking slightly. Alonzo bit back a growl, he knew they were taunting him. He should have expected it, but that didn't mean he could be happy about it.

"We'll see. I think there's food left if you're hungry, but I think one of you should stay with me while I talk to him, so that he can't deny anything later on." Macavity said, knowing that Alonzo would be less likely to try anything if he was still outnumbered. Admetus wrinkled his nose, he was hungry and rather liked the idea of getting himself out of Alonzo's presence. Plato sighed and nodded.

"I'll do it."

The ginger tom led the two into one of the bedrooms, and they talked. It took some prodding but once Alonzo got started it was hard for him to stop. He explained as best he could how he'd ended up roaming the streets, finding a new outlet for his need to hurt. He talked about eventually killing a Jellicle and being caught and having to make a run for it and his fight for survival on the streets. He held nothing back, knowing that he was vulnerable and hoping that his honesty would earn points in his favour. However he was brief, not sharing the details but succinctly summarising over a year of violent crimes and explaining that he'd realised how out of control he'd become. It was plain to Macavity that he wanted to change but also that he would need some help in order to succeed. The conversation took around ten minutes but it was long enough for Macavity to come to a decision.

"I'm sure you can understand why we have a hard time trusting you, but perhaps you can help us. I'm prepared to give you a chance, Alonzo. Prove yourself, and perhaps in time we can forgive. For now, you're welcome to stay but we will be watching you," Macavity said finally. He turned to Plato. "Just as a precaution, keep the sharp things away from him."

Plato nodded, he'd intended to do that anyway and just to reinforce that point he turned to what looked like a safe in the wall, punching in keys too quickly for anyone to follow the code and placing the knife inside before closing the door again. Alonzo watched wistfully, a little disappointed for a moment before he reminded himself that he didn't need it.

"Thanks," he muttered, genuinely meaning it even if it didn't sound like it.

"Now that we've got that all sorted out, maybe we should go and see if there's any food left, you two must be hungry," Macavity said, not acknowledging the apparent gratitude.

Those were the best words Alonzo had heard in a week. It was painfully obvious just from looking at him that he hadn't eaten very much for a while. He knew it would be awkward but it seemed inappropriate to refuse, not to mention the way his stomach growled in response to the mention of food. He followed the other two into the living room, looking rather pathetic the way his eyes followed the floor, his ears drooped and his tail dragged limply behind him.

They entered the sitting room, which was surprisingly spacious. There were two worn but comfortable looking sofas and a squashy armchair. Admetus lounged on one of the sofas, finishing off a meal of chicken. Mungojerrie sat on the other one, with his sister Rumpelteazer in the middle. The tiger-striped queen was having a whispered conversation with Demeter, but both of them stopped and looked up when Macavity entered the room. Plato walked over to the table to get himself some food, before perching himself on the arm of the sofa beside his brother. Macavity walked straight over to the sofa and sat down beside Admetus, apparently not noticing the silence.

They all watched Alonzo hesitate in the doorway, perhaps they were intentionally making him feel uneasy. There was no shocked outburst, so Admetus had clearly filled the others in on what had happened. Alonzo hated the feeling of being on stage, he hated that they were all staring at him. He had no idea what he was supposed to say or do. The awkward silence continued for a moment, until Macavity spoke up.

"Help yourself to food, Alonzo. You look like you need it," he said, watching the tom.

Alonzo didn't move right away, as if he was trying to work out whether this was some sort of trap. Macavity didn't speak again, and neither did anyone else. The ginger tom entertained the thought that perhaps it was cruel to put him in such an awkward position. That thought made him smile slightly. He deserved a lot worse. Eventually the black and white tom made his way over to the table and started eating, taking the only free seat and staying quiet in the hope that they'd just ignore him.

"So," Macavity began, turning his attention back to Admetus and Plato, "What else did you have to tell me."

"We've been hearing some interesting rumours," Admetus began, "About pirates."

"Pirates?"

"Yeah," Plato continued, "Seems there was some sort of ruckus on the other side of town, but we can't get any details."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. No more news of the Jellicles?" the ginger tom asked casually, not even glancing Alonzo's way.

"Just speculation really, but from what we can gather, they're perpetuating the rumours about you losing your nerve." Admetus explained, not as controlled as the ginger tom beside him, he was watching Alonzo as he spoke.

"Who knows? Maybe I am." Macavity said, smirking just a little. Admetus grinned at the mutinous scowl that had formed on Alonzo's face.

Plato shook his head at his brother's antics, staying quiet. He knew of the bitter hatred Admetus had for Alonzo, so this behaviour was not all together surprising now that the tables had turned. Still, some of the tension had eased among the others and they had begun talking quietly, subtly ignoring the newcomer. Alonzo remained silent, not too upset that they were ignoring him.

"Oh, before I forget. Erminea stopped by earlier, she had a message for you," Demeter said suddenly.

"Who from?" Macavity asked curiously.

Demeter glanced sideways at Alonzo, which was all the answer she needed to give.

"It's okay, hun, he'll find out soon enough anyway and it's not like he can go back. I take it the message was from Tugger then?" Demeter just nodded. Macavity began counting silently, waiting.

"Tugger! What the hell do you mean Tugger?" Alonzo burst out, proving Macavity right. He had guessed that there was only so long the black and white tom could keep quiet.

"What do you think he means?" Rumpelteazer muttered with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

"But…" Alonzo protested, having trouble absorbing this information.

"But what?" the tabby queen pressed, nudging her brother with an elbow because he seemed ready to explode with laughter.

"I… I just didn't expect you to still…"

"Have a man on the inside? I'll bet you didn't." Macavity finished for him. "Comes in useful though,"

"I'll bet it does," Alonzo muttered darkly. Still, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made.

"And who knows, you might too." The ginger tom added, mocking him only slightly.

"I'd like to think so." Alonzo replied quietly.

"We'll see. It's getting late…" Macavity began, yawning widely.

"Where's he going to sleep?" Plato asked, leaving no-one in any doubt who he was talking about.

"We've no spare beds," Demeter pointed out.

"Looks like it's the sofa then," Mungojerrie said with a shrug. "I'll get him a spare blanket, Teazer and I picked up a couple yesterday." The tiger tabby left the room, returning a moment later with a blanket and pillow. The group began to disperse, heading towards their own bedrooms. Alonzo just watched in silence, kind of glad they were leaving him alone. He needed time to think.The black and white tom settled himself on the old sofa, covering himself with the blanket and staring at the ceiling, pondering how things could change so suddenly as he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.


End file.
